Piano hand and sitting posture: 3 basics a beginner must know.

1. Get In Position

So you have a piano or keyboard in front of you. What’s next? The key to effective playing is good hand and sitting posture. You want to make sure that you are sitting close enough to the piano that your hands can fully graze the keys. Find a place to such that the middle of the keyboard is right in front of you and be sure to sit up straight. You will want to tilt your elbows outwards from your body so that your upper arms are slightly angled above your wrists. It may not seem integral at first, but as you progress in your studies, good form goes a long way.

Do Your Research:

Positions and movements differ from pianist to pianist and many of the well-known legends have their own signatures. Look up videos online of pianists in concert to see which styles you like and might want to emulate as you grow in skill. How does Lang Lang’s style differ from Billy Joel’s?

2. A Hands-On Approach

It’s no secret that successful piano-playing starts with good hand technique. Fortunately, in our digital world, most of us have decent practice with good technique from using our laptops. Just like with typing, you want your fingers to be slightly bent. Flat fingers mashing down on the piano will not give you the flexibility you need in the long run. You will gradually learn how to differ between volume levels by changing the intensity of your touch, but not the position.

Think Outside The Box:

To get in character, sit at the piano and run your hands across the keys as you would when writing an essay on your laptop. Explore the differences between the keys of the piano and the keys of your laptop. Do you feel you need more force than usual to create a viable sound or less force? What comparisons can you make?

💡 Play the “It Takes Five” lesson to practice hand placement and the seating position.

3. Where Your Feet Go

Your hands may have the star role when it comes to piano playing, but in fact, playing the piano is a full body workout. Most pianos, even keyboards, are equipped with at least one pedal to soften the transition between the notes you play, but the main use your feet will involve keeping time. Once you get comfortable enough to incorporate songs’ rhythms into your playing, tapping your feet on the floor to keep time will very much come in handy.

Prepare for the future:

With your hands in position, lightly graze the keys as you simultaneously tap your feet. Practicing these motions in tandem will make everything all the more easy when you need them to pair rhythm and notes together.